List of maze video games

Maze game is a video game genre description first used by journalists during the 1980s to describe any game in which the entire playing field is a maze. Quick player action is required to escape monsters, outrace an opponent, or navigate the maze within a time limit. After the release of Namco's Pac-Man in 1980, many maze games followed its conventions of completing a level by traversing all paths and a way of temporarily turning the tables on pursuers.

Top down maze games

In a top down maze game, the player can see more of the maze than can the characters who are in it. In rare cases, the maze is vertically-oriented and viewed from the side rather than the top.

Maze chase games are a specific subset of the top down perspective. They’re listed in a separate section.

1959

1973

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

  • Android Two,[8] Vortex, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC
  • Ardy the Aardvark,[11] Datamost, Apple II, Atari 8-bit
  • The Birds and the Bees II: Antics, Bug-Byte, C64, ZX Spectrum
  • Abracadabra!, TG Software, Atari 8-bit
  • Bomberman, Hudson Soft, NEC PC-8001, Sharp X1, others
  • Bumpomov's Dogs,[12] Atari Program Exchange, Atari 8-bit
  • Castle Keeper,[13] ALA Software, Atari 8-bit
  • Cavelon, Jetsoft, Arcade
  • Chack'n Pop,[14] Taito, Arcade
  • Chase the Chuck Wagon, Spectravideo/Ralston Purina, Atari 2600
  • Creepy Corridors, Sierra On-Line, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, others
  • Dandy, Atari Program Exchange, Atari 8-bit
  • Flappy, DB-SOFT, Sharp X1
  • Intrepid, Nova Games, Arcade
  • Key-Quest,[15] Micro-ware, VIC-20
  • Lady Tut,[16] Spinnaker, Apple II, C64
  • Mazer Blazer, Stern, Arcade
  • Oil's Well, Sierra On-Line, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, others
  • Sewermania,[17] Milton Bradley, TI-99/4A
  • Space Maze Attack, HAL, MSX
  • Splat!, Incentive, ZX Spectrum
  • Styx,[8] Bug-Byte, ZX Spectrum
  • Time Bandit, MichTron, Tandy CoCo
  • Track Attack,[18] Broderbund, Apple II, Atari 8-bit

1984

1985

1986

  • A-Maze, K'Soft, ZX Spectrum
  • Aardvark, Bug-Byte, Atari 8-bit, C64
  • Gauntlet II, Atari Games, Arcade
  • Merlin's Money Maze, Zilec, Arcade
  • Snail Maze, Sega, Master System

1987

1988

1989

  • Krazy Mazes,[25] ANALOG Computing, Atari 8-bit
  • Tank Action,[26] CP Verlag, C64

1999

  • Quest: Fantasy Challenge, Sunsoft, Game Boy Color

2003

2008

2009

First-person maze games

1973
  • Maze, Steve Colley, Imlac PDS-1

1977

1978

  • Escape!, Muse, Apple II

1979

  • Ratrun, Code Works, PET

1980

1981

  • 3D Maze, IJK, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron
  • 3D Monster Maze,[8] Sinclair ZX81, ZX Spectrum
  • Captivity,[28] PDI, Atari 8-bit
  • Space Maze, Program Power, BBC Micro

1982

1983

1984

  • 3-D Bomberman, Hudson Soft, MSX, FM-7, NEC PC-6001, others
  • 3D Glooper, Supersoft, C64[34]
  • 3-D Monster Chase,[35] Romik, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC
  • Dedal,[36] Oric-1
  • Skull, Games Machine, ZX Spectrum, C64
  • Star Maze II,[37] Mastertronic, BBC Micro

1985

  • Gyron, Firebird, ZX Spectrum

1987

1991

Maze chase games

This subgenre is exemplified by Namco's Pac-Man (1980),[20] where the goal is to clear a maze of dots while being pursued. Pac-Man spawned many sequels and clones which, in Japan, are often called "dot eat games". Other maze chases don't have dots, and the goal is clear the maze of the pursuers themselves (e.g., Pengo, Guzzler, Jungler).

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

  • 3D Munchy,[53] MRM Software, BBC Micro
  • Alien's Return, ITT Family Games, Atari 2600
  • Bank Heist, 20th Century Fox, Atari 2600
  • Bootleg, APX, Atari 8-bit
  • Botanic, Valadon, Arcade
  • Caterpiggle, APX, Atari 8-bit
  • Chomper Man, Victory, C64
  • Crazy Bugs!,[54] AMA, ZX Spectrum
  • Crystals of Zong,[55] Cymbal, C64
  • Crystal Castles, Atari, Arcade
  • Cyclops,[56] Romik, Tandy CoCo
  • Dot Gobbler,[57] Mr. Computer Products, C64
  • Drelbs, Synapse, Atari 8-bit, C64
  • Felix and the Fruit Monsters, Micro Power, Acorn Electron, BBC Micro
  • Getaway!,[58] APX, Atari 8-bit
  • Ghost Hunt,[59] PSS, ZX Spectrum
  • Ghost's Revenge,[60] Micromania, ZX Spectrum
  • Gnasher,[59] R&R Software, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 16/Plus/4
  • Gobble A Ghost, CDS Microsystems, ZX Spectrum
  • Guzzler, Tehkan, Arcade
  • Hover Bovver, Llamasoft, C64, Atari 8-bit
  • Jawbreaker II, On-Line Systems, Atari 8-bit, Apple II, others
  • Jr. Pac-Man, Bally Midway, Arcade
  • Marvin's Maze, SNK, Arcade
  • Maze Chase,[61][62] Hewson, ZX Spectrum
  • Maze Man, Creative Equipment, C64
  • Miss Gobbler,[63] Spectral, Tandy CoCo
  • Monster Munch, Atlantis, C64
  • Mouser,[64] IBM, IBM PCjr
  • Munch Man 64,[65] Solar Software, C64
  • Pacar,[66] Sega, Arcade
  • Pacmania,[67] Mr. Chip, VIC-20, C64
  • Pac Rabbit, International Publishing & Software, ZX81
  • Plaque Man,[68] HCS, Atari 8-bit, C64
  • Power Blaster,[69] Romik, VIC-20
  • Preppie! II,[70] Adventure International, Atari 8-bit
  • Rubbish Monster,[71] Data Becker, C64
  • Scooby Doo's Maze Chase,[72] Mattel, Intellivision
  • Scrambled Egg, Technos, Arcade
  • Supercuda,[73] Comm*Data, C64
  • Trashman,[74] Creative, C64
  • Traxx, Quicksilva, VIC-20, ZX Spectrum
  • Van-Van Car,[75] Karateco, Arcade
  • Zappy Zooks,[76] Romik, C64

1984

1985

1987

1988

  • Knicker-Bockers,[90] StarSoft, Atari 8-bit
  • Mad Mix, Topo Soft, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, others
  • Snowplow,[91] ANALOG Computing, Atari 8-bit
  • Yuu Maze, Taito, Famicom Disk System

1989

  • Fast Food, Codemasters, C64, ZX Spectrum, others
  • Maze Mania, Hewson, ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad CPC
  • Maze of Flott, Taito, Arcade

1990

  • Hacman II, freeware, Atari ST
  • Marty's Nightmare,[92] CoCoPro, Tandy CoCo 3
  • Perplexity, Superior, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron
  • Trog, Midway, Arcade

1991

  • Jungle Jim,[93] Energize, Amiga, Atari ST

1992

  • GobMan,[94] Shareware, MS-DOS

1993

  • CD-Man,[95] Creative Dimensions, MS-DOS
  • Mean Arenas, Nite Time, Amiga
  • Tinkle Pit, Namco, Arcade

1995

  • Go! Go! Mile Smile,[96] Funki, Arcade

1996

1998

2006

  • Pac the Man X,[97] McSebi, OS X

2010

Grid capture games

In grid capture games, also called line coloring games, the maze consists of lines, and the goal is to capture rectangular areas by traversing their perimeters. The gameplay is not fundamentally different than Pac-Man (players still have to navigate the entire maze to complete a level) but enough games have used the grid motif that it is a distinct style. One unique element is that it is possible to capture multiple rectangles simultaneously, usually for extra points. Amidar established the model for this subgenre.

1981

1982

1983

  • Colour Clash,[99] Romnik, ZX Spectrum
  • Cuthbert Goes Walkabout, Microdeal, Dragon 32/64, CoCo, C64, Atari 8-bit
  • Potty Painter in the Jungle, Rabbit, C64
  • Rollin,[100] Atlantis, C64
  • Spiderdroid, Froggo, Atari 2600
  • Super Gridder, Terminal, C64

1984

1986

  • Gapper, freeware, MS-DOS
  • Panel Panic,[103] Aackosoft, MSX

1999

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